Headwear

ABSTRACT

Hats with one to a multiplicity of openings through a molded crown are provided with a flounce that can be drawn upwardly to cover the inside surface of the crown and display shapes through the openings.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to a headwear apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The most effective headwear provides both style and protection. Theheadwear needs to provide protection for the hair and the top of thehead by the crown, the face by the brim or visor, and the back of theneck by a flounce or veil hanging downwardly from the rear of theheadband. The problem with headwear that provide all the protections isthat weather conditions can quickly change and the wearer may move backand forth from sun to shade making the protection an uncomfortableburden. The varying needs are illustrated on one hand by thevisor/headband combination that provides face protection andunencumbered airflow across the top of the head, but no protection fromthe sun for the top of the head. On the other hand, headwear with a fullcrown, a full brim and a flounce hanging downwardly over the back of theneck provide the ultimate sun protection, but may be uncomfortable dueto the lack of airflow to the wearer's skin. Headwear is needed thatprovides a balance of protection and comfort and the ability to adjustthat balance to meet changing conditions.

U.S. patent to Bianchetti '846 teaches an internal frame of substantialdifferent construction. Bartel '591 discloses a wire frame (FIGS. 6-9).Tramana '828 discloses a frame and crown strips (15-17). Miller '969discloses a wire frame (FIG. 1 & 2). Gallin '958 discloses a grommet(ring) frame (#28 in FIG. 2). Soule' '699 discloses a wire ring frame(FIG. 2). U.S. patent to Oehlschlaeger '763 is a design patent with notext detail. It clearly shows a flounce attached to the front of theband of a visor wherein the flounce may be tucked in as shown in FIGS.1-5 and as a head cover as shown in FIGS. 6-7. Chu '201 discloses a capwith a detachable sunshade flounce (FIGS. 3-4). Kronenberger '689discloses cap with detachable visors. Potochnik '287 discloses outercover 30 and detachable veil 21 (FIG. 7.). No support frame was locatedper the text although some of the drawings are confusing. Linday '370discloses a visor with attachable crown and ornament. Hall '986discloses a cap with a flounce attached on the front top of the cap andarranged in variety of ways. Kraft '017 discloses a headband withattachable crown, neck veil etc. Allen '869 discloses a “widow's” veilattached over the bill of the cap. Proctor '523 discloses modularheadwear with a headband with visors, crown, flounce etc. attachable.Girbardt '120 discloses a detachable crown. Carlson '251 discloses adetachable crown. Johnson '079 discloses a separate head band detachablyattached to the head band of a hat. Garza '740 discloses a reversiblehat with a double walled crown.

None of the above devices satisfy the needs described above and/orattain the objects provided herein below.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is an object of an embodiment of the present invention to provide aheadwear device that has a self-supporting crown that allows nearlyunobstructed airflow to and from the hair and scalp.

It is a further object of an embodiment of the present invention toprovide a headwear device that allows the wearer to alternatively changethe crown from essentially a full head covering to nearly fully open tothe elements.

It is an additional object of an embodiment of the present invention toprovide a headwear device with a cloth lining that can be either pulledup as lining under a foraminous crown or be pulled downwardly to hang asflounce or veil.

It is a further object of an embodiment of the present invention toprovide a headwear device that allows patterns on a cloth panel to bevisible through openings in the crown when the panel is pulled upwardlyas a liner under the crown.

It is a further object of an embodiment of the present invention toprovide a headwear device that allows many styles of figures such assports ball patterns, flowers, fish, insects and other figures withoutlimit on a cloth flounce to be aligned with and be visible throughopenings in the crown when the flounce is pulled upwardly as a linerunder the crown.

It is a further object of an embodiment of the present invention toprovide a headwear device that allows a foraminous cloth panel to allowaccess to openings in the crown when the panel is pulled over to coverthe crown.

It is an additional object an embodiment of the present invention toprovide a headwear device that provides a flexible crown that includes amultiplicity of frames that can be stiffened by wire woven through sidesof the frames.

An embodiment of the invention is a headwear apparatus that includes aheadband that includes a front and a rear section, a foraminous crownattached to the headband, the crown including a multiplicity of frames,each frame including at least one side member around an opening andconnecting means to connect the frames together to form the crown, theapparatus further including a sheet panel, preferably a fabric panel,comprising a rear edge, a front edge, an upwardly facing surface, and alength extendable from proximate the rear section of the head band overand conforming to a surface of the crown to reach proximate the frontsection of the headband, first means to detachably attach the rear edgeto the rear section of the headband, second means to detachably attachthe front edge to the front section of the headband.

It is preferred that the upwardly facing surface of the panel be adaptedto be drawn upwardly to abut an inside surface of the crown. It isfurther preferred that the panel be shaped to fit over an outsidesurface of the crown and adapted to abut the outside surface of thecrown. It is also preferred that the number of frames be at least tenand less than two hundred. It is further preferred that the number offrames be at least twenty. It is also preferred that the crown besemi-rigid. It is further preferred that the crown be flexible and selfsupporting. It is also preferred that the connecting means include anintegral molding of the frames with a plurality of connecting points oneach frame to adjacent frames. It is further preferred that the numberof side members be chosen from the group consisting of one side memberand four side members. It is also preferred that a pattern be printed onthe upwardly facing surface of the panel and is adapted to be visiblethrough the openings of the frames when the panel is drawn upwardly toabut the inside surface of the crown. It is further preferred that thepattern printed on the upwardly facing surface of the panel include amultiplicity of shapes that are adapted to be visible through theopenings of the frames when the panel is drawn upwardly to abut theinside surface of the crown. It is also preferred that the first meansto detachably attach the rear edge to the rear section of the headbandbe a permanent attachment. All of these preferred embodiments areintended to be combined with any and all of the balance of the preferredembodiments and the embodiments described below where appropriate.

A second embodiment of the invention is a headwear apparatus thatincludes headwear apparatus comprising a flexible and self supportingforaminous crown comprising at least ten and less than two hundredframes, each frame comprising side members, wherein the number of sidemembers is chosen from the group consisting of one side member and atleast three side members, and connecting means to connect the framestogether to form the crown comprising an integral molding of the frameswith a plurality of connecting points on each frame to adjacent frames.

A third embodiment of the invention is a headwear apparatus including aheadband comprising a front and a rear section, and a flexible, selfsupporting crown attached to the headband, the crown including at leastone opening, and a fabric flounce including an upper edge attached tothe rear section of the headband with a length hanging downwardly fromthe rear of the apparatus, wherein a frontwardly facing surface of theflounce is adapted to be drawn upwardly to abut an inner surface of thecrown and be visible through at least one opening. It is preferred thatthe frontwardly facing surface of the flounce include at least one shapethat is adapted to be visible through at least one opening in the crownwhen the flounce is drawn upwardly to abut the inner surface of thecrown.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a rear bottom left side perspective view of a headwearapparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 1 a is a top plan view of a section of the crown construction ofsaid apparatus.

FIG. 1 b is a cut-away perspective view of a section of the crownconstruction of said apparatus with a pattern of the fabric paneldisplayed through an opening in a frame of the crown.

FIG. 2 is a front top right perspective view of said apparatus with thecrown cut-away.

FIG. 3 is a front top right perspective view of a third embodimentapparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 a is a top plan view of a section of the crown construction ofsaid apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a top front right side perspective view of a fourth embodimentapparatus of the present invention with a panel in its abutted positionagainst the inside surface of the crown.

FIG. 4 a is a top plan view of a section of the crown construction ofsaid apparatus with the pattern of the flounce showing through theopening.

FIG. 5 is a top front right side perspective view of a fifth embodimentapparatus of the present invention with a panel in its up positionagainst the inside surface of the crown that includes a large centralopening in a patterned frame crown construction.

FIG. 5 a is a top plan view of a section of the crown construction ofsaid apparatus framing the large central opening.

FIG. 6 is a top front right side perspective view of a sixth embodimentapparatus of the present invention with a brim on front of headband anda crown construction displayed without a cloth panel shown.

FIG. 6 a is a top plan view of a section of the crown construction ofsaid apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a right side perspective view of a sixth embodiment apparatusof the present invention with a brim, headband and crown constructionsimilar to that of FIG. 1 and 1 a cut away with a foraminous cloth panelshaped to fit over and cover the crown.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Headwear apparatus 10, shown in FIGS. 1, 1 a, 1 b and 2, is constructedof headband 12, bill 16, sheet panel 18, here shown as a fabric flounce,and crown 24. Headband 12 is adjustably held around the head by endjoining VELCRO® clasp 14. Upper edge 19 of flounce 18 is attached torear section 13 of headband 12 by stitching 21 allowing lower edge 23 todrape downwardly. Alternate detachable attachment of edge 19 to section13 is shown as VELCRO® patch 25. Front surface 20 of flounce 18 facesfrontwardly toward bill 16 and is imprinted with a design in thisexample a multiplicity of golf ball shapes, which mate with and arevisible through openings 34 through crown 24 as flounce is pulledupwardly and surface 20 abuts the inside surface of crown 24. As shownin FIG. 1, rear surface 22 is also imprinted with matching shapes on thecloth. The panel may be plastic film or cloth, and may be a permanentlyattached flounce or detachably attached on both the rear and front ends.The panel may be imprinted for decoration on either, both or nosurfaces. It is preferred that front surface 20 be imprinted as shownimprinted on a transparent film in FIG. 2. The shape pattern may be anydesign including by not limited to sports balls, such as golf ballshapes 17 shown in FIG. 1, basketballs shown in FIG. 3, baseballs shownin FIG. 4, and the like, flowers, insects, such as the butterfly in FIG.5, and other distinctive recognizable shapes. To hold flounce 18 in itsupward position against the inside surface of crown 24, VELCRO® hookpatches 26 and 30 on front surface 20 attach respectively to VELCRO®loop patches 28 and 32 on the left inside surface of crown 24. Likewise,VELCRO® hook patches 26′ and 30′ on front surface 20 attach respectivelyto VELCRO loop patches 28′ and 32′ on the right inside surface of crown24 to hold flounce 18 in place. For clarity, flounce 18 is shown in FIG.1 as transparent to allow viewing the VELCRO® patches on the frontsurface of flounce 18 and on crown 24. Further, openings 34 and theconstruction of crown 24 are shown only as a general diagram in FIG. 1.The detail of this crown construction is shown in FIG. 1 a whereopenings 34 are shown bounded by circular frames 36 attached atplurality of positions to adjacent frames by connecting links 38. Crown24 is and integral molding of a semi-rigid or flexible polymericplastic, such as low or high density polyethylene, polybutylene,silicone, nylon polymers and the like. The crown construction mayinclude nylon or spring steel reinforcement stitching 15 shown in FIGS.1 a, 6 a and other embodiments. Golf ball pattern shape 17 is showndisplayed through opening 34 through crown 24 in FIG. 1 b. In FIG. 2,crown 24 has been cut-away to show front surface 20 of flounce 18 andthe actual positions of patches 26 and 30. Headwear apparatus 40 isshown in FIGS. 3 and 3 a with bill 16′ and headband 12′ printed to matchthe appearance of crown 42, which is an integral molding with openings48 being parallelograms with inside angles of about 60 and 120 degrees.Openings 48 are bounded by frames 44 of the same shape attached at theapexes to adjacent frames by connecting sections 46. This structuresimulates a basketball net and calls for a plain pattern on the uppersurface of a panel that is not shown here. Cap 50 is shown in FIGS. 4and 4 a with headband 12″ and bill 16″. The appearance of crown 52 is ofbaseball shapes 56 on plain background 58. The appearance is achieved bythe crown construction shown on FIG. 4 a with circular frames 60attached to each other by connecting members 62. The baseball“stitching” pattern 64 is imprinted on the front surface of the panel,which abuts with the patterns aligned with openings 66. Crown 52 isattached through stitches 51 to headband 12″. Cap 68 is shown in FIGS. 5and 5 a with headband 12′″ and bill 16′″. In this embodiment the crownis cut away exposing front surface 20′ of panel 70 showing butterflypattern shape opening 72 through large hole semi-rigid frame 74 with theconstruction of the crown including connecting links 76 to the balanceof the crown with smaller butterfly shaped frames around smalleropenings 78. Large openings, such as opening 72 allow hair to be pulledout through the crown. Attachment of the crown to the head band may beaccomplished in a number of ways including dircect stitching, wraparound connection with stitching, hot melt glue, and the like. Headweardevice 80 is shown in FIG. 6 with no cloth panel shown. The crown isconstructed of four upstanding semi-rigid plastic arms 84 attached atlower ends to headband 12″″ and at upper ends to center circular frame82 with the construction shown in FIG. 6 a of frames 36′ around openings34′ joined together with connecting arms 38′ all reinforced with springmetal stitching 15. Headwear device 86 is illustrated in FIG. 7 with thecap construction of headband 12, crown 24, and bill 16 being essentiallyidentical to that of the device of FIGS. 1 and 1 a. In this embodiment,sheet panel 88 is formed plastic with multiple openings 90, which matchand align with openings 34 when panel 88 is overlaid on crown 24. Panel88 is attached with VELCRO® fastener 92 to rear section 96 of band 12and with VELCRO® fastener 94 to front section 98 of band 12.

While this invention has been described with reference to specificembodiments disclosed herein, it is not confined to the details setforth and the patent is intended to include modifications and changeswhich may come within and extend from the following claims.

1. A headwear apparatus comprising a headband comprising a front and arear section, a foraminous crown attached to the headband, the crowncomprising a multiplicity of frames, each frame comprising at least oneside member around an opening and connecting means to connect the framestogether to form the crown, the apparatus further comprising a sheetpanel comprising a rear edge, a front edge, an upwardly facing surface,and a length extendable from proximate the rear section of the head bandover and conforming to a surface of the crown to reach proximate thefront section of the headband, first means to detachably attach the rearedge to the rear section of the headband, second means to detachablyattach the front edge to the front section of the headband.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the panel is fabric and the upwardlyfacing surface of the panel is adapted to be drawn upwardly to abut aninside surface of the crown.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thepanel is shaped to fit over an outside surface of the crown and adaptedto abut the outside surface of the crown.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the number of frames is at least ten and less than two hundred.5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the number of frames is at leasttwenty.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the crown is semi-rigid. 7.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the crown is flexible and selfsupporting.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting meanscomprises an integral molding of the frames with a plurality ofconnecting points on each frame to adjacent frames.
 9. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein the number of side members is chosen from the groupconsisting of one side member and four side members.
 10. The apparatusof claim 2, wherein a pattern printed on the upwardly facing surface ofthe panel is adapted to be visible through the openings of the frameswhen the panel is drawn upwardly to abut the inside surface of thecrown.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the pattern printed on theupwardly facing surface of the panel comprises a multiplicity of shapesthat are adapted to be visible through the openings of the frames whenthe panel is drawn upwardly to abut the inside surface of the crown. 12.The apparatus of claim 2, wherein first means to detachably attach therear edge to the rear section of the headband is a permanent attachment.13. A headwear apparatus comprising a flexible and self supportingforaminous crown comprising at least ten and less than two hundredframes, each frame comprising side members, wherein the number of sidemembers is chosen from the group consisting of one side member and atleast three side members, and connecting means to connect the framestogether to form the crown comprising an integral molding of the frameswith a plurality of connecting points on each frame to adjacent frames.14. A headwear apparatus comprising a headband comprising a front and arear section, and a flexible, self supporting crown attached to theheadband, the crown comprising at least one opening, and a fabricflounce comprising an upper edge attached to the rear section of theheadband with a length hanging downwardly from the rear of theapparatus, wherein a frontwardly facing surface of the flounce isadapted to be drawn upwardly to abut an inner surface of the crown andbe visible through at least one opening.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14wherein there are a plurality of openings in the crown.
 16. Theapparatus of claim 14 wherein there are a multiplicity of openings inthe crown.
 17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein there are at least tenand less than two hundred openings in the crown.
 18. The apparatus ofclaim 14 wherein the frontwardly facing surface of the flounce comprisesat least one shape that is adapted to be visible through at least oneopening in the crown when the flounce is drawn upwardly to abut theinner surface of the crown.